Dumpster blues

Positively Palermo received this: "An open letter to those who have moved in and moved out or bought big new TV sets: You have for sometime filled up the garbage bins on Sunburst and littered the area with huge cardboard boxes to the point that the garage is on the ground and the trash guys can't take it all. One person has just thrown down boxes and strafoam for their TV and now the wind has kicked up all over the place. Another person moving out has just thrown down a baby gate on the ground. Do you really have no concern for your neighbors or the environment?" Miss Penny Lane says: She's moved to tears when she hears such a thing.

Sprinkler repair company?

Positively Palermo received this request: "Hi Penny - I need to replace the manifold on my sprinkler system. It is leaking really bad. The pvc has cracks in it from the sun. Can anyone recommend a sprinkler repair company they have used in Palermo that I can call to have it repaired? Thx." Miss Penny Lane says: She's of no help but maybe someone else can be.

Hot hot hot

It's going to get hotter. The news has this report: "Think it's hot now? Just wait until 2041 rolls around. Palm Springs is set to warm more dramatically than most of the rest of Southern California in the next 40 years or so, UCLA researchers found. The average annual temperature could rise 5.15 degrees by midcentury, defined by the study as 2041-2060. “It's certainly, I think, the kind of change that is noticeable,” said Alex Hall, the UCLA professor who led the study. If the warm-up isn't accompanied by any more rainfall — which Hall's team also plans to study — desert species would certainly feel the heat, desert ecologist Jim Cornett said. “That would stress a lot of our native desert plants, and I would hazard a guess that it would probably result in the loss of some of our larger cactus species,” he said. As plants go, so too would some animals. “They can go underground (and) escape, certainly, even a 5-degree temperature difference,” Cornett said. “But if you go underground and you come back on the ground and your favorite food plant or nesting site is gone, it doesn't make any difference.” Miss Penny Lane says: She's preparing by by a few more ice cube trays from the dollar store.

What is Palermo's neighborhood name?

Does the area around Palermo Palm Springs have a neighborhood name? Is Palermo part of the Racquet Club neighborhood to the south. The news has an article on one neighborhood nearby: "The Ruth Hardy Park neighborhood in Palm Springs will be renamed Movie Colony East Saturday to mark its entertainment industry roots. New signs will be unveiled at a ceremony at the corner of East El Alameda and Paseo De Anza. The area encompasses more than 700 homes, neighborhood organization president Tim Sigle said Monday. The northern portion of the area was the site of the El Mirador Hotel golf course in the 1930s, and is now homes originally designed as second homes and vacation hideouts for celebrities. Residents included Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Bing Crosby, Carmen Miranda, Keely Smith and Hedy Lamarr. The original tracts were merged with a sister neighborhood to the west to become the Movie Colony. The name was later changed to Ruth Hardy Park after the adjacent city park. On May 29, residents “once again decided to accentuate the area's Hollywood roots by renaming the neighborhood Movie Colony East,” Sigle said. Signs were designed and financed by the area's residents and groups of neighbors. The first of 15 street signs was recently installed." Miss Penny Lane says: She think regardless of the name, Palermo is the friendliest neighborhood in town.

Smoke in the sky on Saturday

The news has the story about the smoke that could be seen yesterday from Palermo: "Palm Springs firefighters successfully put out a half-acre brush fire that started Saturday afternoon in Chino Canyon just north of Palm Springs. The fire, which was west of Highway 111, created smoke that was visible across Palm Springs and as far away as Vista Chino and Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City. Firefighters were called to the area about 4 p.m. and had the fire contained just after 4:30 p.m. The fire was in an undeveloped desert area and no buildings were threatened." Miss Penny Lane says: She's on fire today to get some housekeeping brushed out of the way.

Happy Father's Day, Palermo

Happy Father's Day to all at Palermo Palm Springs and beyond. Miss Penny Lane says: She will celebrate by having a granddaddy of breakfast.

Real estate news

Thee hasn't been much real estate news at Palermo Palm Springs of law. Two homes on Penny Lane and on Melody Lane have been in short sales or foreclosures but it appears they may be off the market now, as the signs are gone. News from the paper: The number of Riverside County homes that fell into foreclosure last month jumped 14 percent, pointing to "a bumpy ride down to the bottom of this foreclosure cycle," a real estate tracking firm reported today. A total of 4,406 mortgage default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions were recorded countywide in May, translating to 1 in 182 households in some stage of foreclosure, according to Irvine-based RealtyTrac. The county ranked No. 5 in foreclosures statewide. The number of filings was 14 percent more than in April but roughly 6 percent below the level of a year ago, data showed." Miss Penny Lane says: The only thing she's in the market for is a new floatie.

Positively Palermo inspires new community blog

This was posted yesterday on Positively Palermo: "I loved your blog so much that when I lived in Palermo for 2 years I read it all the time. *(I was renting then) I was able to purchase a house in Escena and created a positive blog about our community here. Please forgive the similarities. I hope to bring a community blog within our development like you do here. http://positivelyescena.blogspot.com/ " Miss Penny Lane says: She's positively honored.

Positively Palermo has been asked to provide the floor plans for the A model loft residence. There are 33 Model A townhome units. The A units are two stories, with 20-foot ceilings and walls of glass windows in the front of the house. They have two bedrooms, an office loft, 2.5 baths, upstairs sun deck, private back yard and one-car garage. They are the largest of all the units at Palermo, with 1,375 square feet. The A models have a unique floor plan that includes high ceilings, loft, and the kitchen area with a huge island in the center of the first floor. A reminder that all seven of Palermo's floor plans (A-B-C-D-E-F and G) are on this site. Get to them by clicking the link on the left side of this page. Miss Penny Lane says: A is for awesome.

Aerial map

The newspaper has had stories about an arrest in "the pipe case." There is an interesting aerial map that shows where the devices were found and even has an overhead view of Palermo. This is the link. Miss Penny Lane says: She's hopping off to the ihop to waffles on this Sunday morning.

A new name for Enterprise Way?

You may have seen the discussion by residents about whether Enterprise Way, named after Palermo's original developer, should be renamed. Enterprise Way is the main entrance to Palermo, off Indian Canyon Drive. The clubhouse and a limited number of residences have Enterprise Way addresses, but when Phase 2 is completed, Enterprise Way will run all the way to San Rafael and have many more units. What do you think? Should Enterprise Way get a new name and shed the past, or do you like it? What would be some other choices? Miss Penny Lane says: She thinks the best name for a Palermo street is already taken.

Primary day

It's Election Day. For citizens of Palermo Palm Springs, you go to vote at the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center at 480 W. Tramview Road, according to the elections office. To get there, go up Indian Canyon Drive and take a left. Miss Penny Lane says: She likes to exercise her right to vote and does it just as much as she gets on a treadmill.